Metal covered fluid conductor



1/ J I 9% WAGE/0A9 0 F. S. HUDSON' METAL COVERED FLUID CONDUCTOR FiledJune 17, 1935 May 10, 1938.

/51 Z/mv 0 U .75! A TTORNEY 11v VENTOR I I I I I I I I I I I u PatentedMay 10, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Dealers Manufacturing Company,

Kansas City, Mo., a. corporation of Missouri Application June 17, 1935,Serial No. 27,005

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in metal covered fluid conductors.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a novel fluidconducting unit which has a maximum heat absorbing or heat radiatingcapacity, whereby it is enabled to heat or cool fluid passingtherethrough with a maximum of efliciency.

A further object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of novelconstruction in which the constituent elements are united together toform an integral structure adapted for removal and replacement as aunit.

My invention provides still further a novel electrical heating unitwhich is simple, cheap, durable, strong, not likely to get out of order,and which has a maximum of efliciency.

The novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodimentof my invention, and a modification thereof,

Fig. 1 is one side elevation, partly broken away, of my improved unit,with the adjacent side insulation plate removed.

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly broken away, looking at the opposite sideof the unit. I

Fig. 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical sectionof the heat conductor and its metal covering.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged central vertical sectional view, partly brokenaway, of my improved unit. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the completeunit.

Fig. 6 is a view partly in side elevation, partly in longitudinalsection and partly broken away, of a modified form of the unit showndisposed in a motor exhaust pipe.

Fig. 7 is an end view of the unit shown in Fig. 6, on the plane of theline I-I of Fig. 6.

I designates the body of my improved fluid conductor which is of theform of a flat involute spiral, the inner end of the body I beingattached to a central plug 2 having opposite ends threaded and providedwith a discharge or receiving passage 3 leading to one of the threadedends of the plug 2 and communicating with the interior of the spiralbody I.

The outer end of the body I is attached to and interiorly communicateswith an elbow 4 adapted to receive or discharge fluid, as water or gas.

The body I and plug 2 are embedded in a metal covering 5 having flatsmooth parallel opposite sides which are respectively parallel with theopposite sides of the spiral body I.

The body I is, preferably, a metal of relatively high heat conductivity,and a high melting point, as copper. The metal covering 5, has,preferably, a melting point lower than that of the body I, to enable itto be readily cast about and in intimate contact with the conductor bodyI. The 5 covering 5 has high heatconductivity to enable it to rapidlyconvey heat to or from the body I.

,Such covering 5 is, for its cheapness and efllciency, aluminum,although silver could be advantageously used as the covering.

The complete conductor body I is immersed in the melted aluminum in amold, not shown, which provides parallel smooth flat sides to thecovering 5, the body I being disposed midway between the sides of thecovering 5 and parallel l5 therewith. The body I is preferably made fromcopper tubing which is circular in cross section. The tubing after beingformed into the spiral form with the coils convoluted, or wound one onthe other, as shown in Fig. 3, is exteriorly cleaned so as to be freefrom scale or other coating, whereby when immersed in the moltenaluminum, it will have intimate contact therewith.

The aluminum covering will completely flll in between the coils of thebody I and, when permitted to cool and removed from the mold will holdthe body I from any distortion due to temperature changes or othercause.

As shown in Fig. 4, the ends of the horizontal plug 2 project fromopposite sides respectively of the covering 5, whereby the closedthreaded end of the plug may be employed as a supporting means to beattached to a suitable support, not shown. The threaded end of the elbowI and the threaded end of the plug having the passage 3 may berespectively connected with tubing, not shown, which is to supply thefluid to be heated or cooled, as the case may be.

If the fluid to be treated is to be cooled, ice or refrigerating brinemay be applied to the covering 5, upon which the heat in the fluidtreated will be absorbed through the body I and the aluminum covering 5.

If the fluid in the body I is to be heated, heat is applied to thecovering 5, and will be absorbed therefrom through the body I by thefluid. For heating and boiling water, the covering 5 serves as aneflicient conductor of heat to the water.

For heating fluid in the body I, I have shown two V shaped flat unitscomposed of electrical resistance wires 6 disposed respectively betweentwo pairs of flat insulating plates 1, as mica, and arranged flatwiseagainst one side of the covering 5.

A similar V shaped resistance wire 6 mounted between insulating plates 1is disposed against the opposite side of the covering 5. By having theseheating units disposed flatwise, as shown against the flat smoothsurfaces of the sides of the covering, the conduction of the heattherefrom through the covering 5 is evenly distributed throughout theresistance wires, thereby preserving the wires from injurious unevenheating. By having the body I in the form of a flat spiral with thecoils convoluted and tightly wound upon each other, and opposite sidesof the spiral embedded in the metal covering or body 5, a very compactstructure is afforded in a minimum of space, thus enabling a maximumheating effect to be obtained with the heating units at a minimumexpense for electrical current.

The convoluting of the tubing in flat form in making the spiral body I,enables the latter to be easily, quickly and cheaply formed withoutliability of kinking or making abrupt bends that would interfere withthe passage of fluid therethrough. It also enables the employment of aminimum amount of covering metal 5 for the length of tubing used, thusreducing weight and cost.

Fastened by bolts 8 to opposite sides of the covering 5, at the outersides respectively of the mica insulation plates 1, are two protectinginsulation plates 9, having holes l through which respectively extendthe end portions of the plug 2.

The covering so rapidly absorbs heat that when exposed to the sun, andthe elements 6, I and 9 are removed, water placed in the fluid conductormay be raised to the boiling point, and steam produced. The constituentelements of the heating apparatus just described, and which is shown inFigs. 1 to 5, are united together so as to form an integral structureadapted for removal or replacement as a unit, thus making forconvenience and economy in assembling where it is to be used, or inmaking repairs when needed.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the fluid conductor is inthe form of a helical spiral ll of tubing, preferably of copper, whichis embedded in and integrally united to a metal covering [2, preferablyaluminum, or a metal having a melting temperature lower than that of theconductor H. Such embedding is effected by immersing the conductor I Iin the molten metal i2 and permitting the latter to solidify in asuitable mold, not shown. The inner and outer surfaces of the covering[2 are, preferably provided with longitudinal ribs l3 which facilitatethe conduction of heat to the conductor spiral ll.

As shown in Fig. 6, the unit, comprising the conductor H and the metalcovering 12, is shown disposed in an exhaust pipe M of an explosiveengine, not shown. The hot exhaust passing through the pipe I4 willhighly heat the metal covering 12, which will heat the conductor i l andsuch fluid as may be passed through the latter.

As used herein, the term embedded, as ap plied to the manner ofassociating the conductor I, or II, as the case may be, with the metalcovering 5, or l2, means the integrally uniting in intimate contact ofthe covering metal with the metal conductor, such as is obtained byimmersing the conductor in the molten covering metal and permitting thelatter to solidify upon the conductor, as distinguished from merelymechanically attaching the conductor to and between two metal plates.

The invention is subjective to various other modifications, within thescope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

What I claim is:

In an apparatus of the kind described, a convoluted flat spiral metaltubing, the coils of which contact with each other, the ends of thetubing being respectively at the inner and outer ends of the spiral, asolid metal covering in which said tubing, excepting its ends, isembedded, said covering at opposite sides of the spiral having flatsurfaces, two heating units one being against and electrically insulatedfrom each of said surfaces, and two thermal insulation membersrespectively against the outer sides of said heating units, said metalcovering having a melting point higher than that to which it will beheated by said units, said elements being united together to form anintegral structure adapted to be removed or replaced as a unit.

FINN S. HUDSON.

